State Fair Workforce Innovation Center

Project Information

  • YEAR: 2020
  • CLIENT: State Fair Community College
  • SIZE: 38,500 sf
  • TYPE: New Construction
  • LOCATION: Sedalia, MO

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State Fair Technology Center

State Fair Community College’s new Olen Howard Workforce Innovation Center is a 38,500 square foot facility that will more than double the college’s capacity in precision machining and welding and expand other programs such as industrial maintenance, robotics, logistics, leadership/supervisory skills, and apprenticeships.

The Olen Howard Workforce Innovation Center will increase the pipeline of students pursuing high-demand, technical careers; provide under-served and nontraditional populations with avenues to obtain technical skills training, and give area employers the opportunity to skill-up and train workers locally. Students will be able to earn certifications in high paying fields and secure jobs to sustain their families today and offer greater opportunities for their children in the future in central Missouri.

This project was made possible with the generous donation by the Olen Howard family and a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) from the Missouri Department of Economic Development in a partnership with the city of Sedalia, as part of the Workforce Training Initiative.

Key Features:

  • 25 classrooms, 14 labs and 13 overhead doors
  • A student resource center for studying and collaboration
  • A maker-space fabrication lab
  • Drive-in classrooms for the automotive program
  • Two lecture/lab classrooms for industrial maintenance
  • Separate labs for welding, grinding and plasma cutting
  • Lab space for advanced manufacturing and robotics classes
  • Expandable meeting/conference room
  • Precision machining and advanced manufacturing lab
  • Classroom for the commercial driving academy
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